Colour My World
by Beyblade Community Project
Summary: Kai's life has fallen into dull, comfortable routine. That is, until Tala brings the Bladebreakers back to help him revive the BBA. Can Kai cope with the change? And who keeps giving him flowers? A Community Project.
1. Life in Monochrome

_Life in Monochrome_

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by **PandaPjays

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_A flowerless room is a soulless room, to my way of thinking: but even one solitary little vase of a living flower may redeem it.  
__**- Vita Sackville-West**_

He didn't know why or even how it started. He didn't really care. Kai didn't really care for much. All he knew was that one morning he was going through his usual routine: reading the paper, going through his notes on the day before, trying to figure out exactly _why_ he could only find one black sock when the only socks he owned were black— when he looked out of the window.

Even the view out there wasn't particularly inspiring. It was another cold, grey day in the city of Moscow. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing exciting. People were going about their lives in much the same way Kai was; He had worked out long ago that the easiest way to get through life was to live without paying attention. Things were simpler that way, less painful.

But there was something different about that view. Something that didn't fit in with Kai's routine. He frowned for a second before rising from his habitual position at his breakfast table to investigate. In the world of grey outside there was colour. Colour that most definitely didn't belong. He couldn't see the details through the window—he had been meaning to clean the glass for weeks— so he carefully undid the latch and inched it open, closing his eyes against the rush of cold air into the room.

Set on the window sill was a simple, clear vase. In it was the strangest flower Kai had ever seen. It looked like a blade of grass, growing grown tired of its boring life, had grown to gigantic proportions. It had grown so much it had eventually given up being grass and from its head had burst long, waxy orange and blue petals in a fantastic display of how strange nature can be. Kai stared for a few seconds at the exotic plant before reaching for the vase and slowly drawing it inside, ignoring the discomfort of the cold glass against his fingertips.

Once inside, Kai shut the window firmly and studied the flower, his brows knitted together in thought. There was no note attached to the gift. Only the flower.

_Bird of Paradise_, Kai recalled, remembering seeing the exotic flower in one of the many flower arrangements that had decorated the Hiwatari Manor while he grew up. His mother had always been fond of surrounding herself with fresh-cut flowers. She had said they reminded her of her home where it wasn't always so cold.

He shook his head before checking that the vase had enough water to survive the day and getting back to his routine. Whoever had given him the flower hadn't seen fit to tell him who they were. That meant they could be safely filed under the category of 'Not Kai's problem'.

But the flower did add some colour to the otherwise neutral and bland room.

-o-

"Paperwork?"

"Always," Kai didn't even bother to look up as Tala entered his office. He had come to expect a visit from the redhead at least once every two hours. It was part of his routine, another part of his increasingly predictable days.

"Did you get my surprise this morning?"

Kai looked up, thinking of the flower that was now brightening his apartment. He'd forced himself to not think about the identity of the person who had left it outside his window. The logical part of his mind had reasoned that there was no use driving himself crazy over it—the wasn't enough evidence to implicate anyone si it was best not to mull over it. So he had walked into his office, as usual, closed the door, as usual, and sat down to work his way through the pile of paper that cluttered his desk. Nothing had been different. Only the flower.

But _Tala_?

"Of course he didn't," a rich, familiar voice filled with laughter and affectionate teasing filtered through Kai's door. "He was too focused on his work."

Kai blinked as he placed the voice to a name, "Ray?" He asked, a frown of confusion on his face when the Chinese man poked his head through the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

Tala smirked, "Remind me never to throw you a surprise party. You'd probably miss the whole thing."

"That's not _quite_ true. He'd notice the mess the next morning," Ray countered.

"Nothing else, though."

"You still haven't answered my question," Kai said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Was Ray the one who had left him the flower? Why would he do that? When had he arrived in Russia?

Ray's eyes twinkled as his smile turned mischievous, "Honestly, Kai. I just don't know what to do with you. Come outside," he said, beckoning before disappearing out to the office proper.

Tala rolled his eyes, "All of this trouble and he doesn't even _notice_." He muttered to himself as he followed Ray.

Kai followed his friends cautiously, all thoughts of the flower disappearing from his mind. What had Tala done? What hadn't he noticed? Everything had seemed the same when he had walked into work. Not that he normally paid much attention. To be honest, a company as large as Hiwatari Enterprises mostly ran itself. Kai's job was mainly as a figurehead, to be the person people pointed to when they said '_He's in charge'_. It wasn't very fulfilling but it was a job that had to be done. In order for a company to move forward they needed someone to follow, a leader. Even if that leader only went whatever way his followers guided him.

"Took you long enough!" A brassier, more arrogant voice greeted him as he left the relative safety of his office. Kai blinked when he saw Tyson leaning casually against a desk usually occupied by one of Kai's many secretaries and personal assistants.

"I was starting to think we were invisible! We had to stop Tyson from tearing down your door at least three times!"

"Maaax! You're destroying the cool thing I had going!" Tyson complained, giving up looking nonchalant and giving Kai a grin. "Seriously, though, you walked right past us."

"Tyson, you wouldn't know cool if it punched you in the face," Hilary said sweetly, reclining in one of the ridiculously comfortable office chairs. "Hey, Kai!'

Kai could only blink. He turned to Tala, unable to think of what to say, "What? Why?" he eventually asked.

Ray snickered, "_Told_ you he didn't like surprises. But did you listen to me?"

"He _needed_ a surprise. Look how scary set in his ways he's become," Tala said, patting Kai patronisingly on his shoulder. "He didn't even notice you all lounging around when he walked in."

"—I was thinking about something else_._" Kai tried, still trying to make sense of the presence of his old team. _A lonely flower sitting outside his window, in stark contrast to its grey surroundings_. "Why are you all here?"

"Remember how you put me in charge of dealing with the BBA?" Tala asked, "Well, me and Bryan in charge... Mostly me," he amended after a second.

Kai nodded cautiously. After the whole BEGA fiasco, Stanley Dickinson had needed some help to get the BBA back on its feet. Kai had only just inherited Hiwatari enterprises and it had seemed logical, even fitting, that he become the main backing behind the organisation. It had been a profitable venture, Beyblading as a professional sport only seemed to go from strength to strength.

Even when all of the teams Kai had known had retired and Mr Dickinson had given up public life, Hiwatari Enterprises had remained the main funding body behind the BBA. But it had needed a new head. Tala and Bryan had been working for him for years and had seemed logical choices.

"I thought we might need some help."

"So he brought us in!" Max said enthusiastically, his smile still the brilliant one Kai remembered from their time as teammates.

"We're his 'panel of experts'" Tyson said with a grin.

"Well, not you, obviously," Tala said with a glint in his eyes, "You just came with the package."

"You're just jealous _you_ never got to be World Champion," Tyson said, rolling his eyes.

"No, I just got the satisfaction of knowing that I'm better than you at all things. Somehow, I'll make do with that."

"_Boys_," Hilary interrupted them before they could continue their only-half-joking fight. "_Honestly_," she smiled at Kai, "So, Tala invited us all to come stay here in Moscow. Just in case you didn't get that."

Kai nodded dumbly. He wasn't quite sure what to say to that. Experience had taught him that silence was often the best way to survive such situations; so he stayed silent.

"Still a big talker, I see," Rei said with a grin. "Grab your stuff, Bryan's booked us a table at a restaurant down the road so we can catch up. He's already down there with Kenny and Daichi."

"I wonder if Kenny's already traumatised?" Max mused aloud as Rei and Tala first shepherded Kai back into his office to collect his things and then outside.

"Surely Bryan couldn't get to him that fast," Hilary said with a frown. "I mean, I know Kenny's not exactly going to win any awards for bravery but it's just Bryan, right?"

"I always forget that you weren't there when Rei faced off against him the first time. It was _epic_."

-o-

After a lunch filled with reminiscing (it wasn't just Kai who had fallen out of touch) and some memories best left forgotten (Kai had blocked all recollection of Tyson's eating habits), Kai had escaped.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy spending time with his old teammates. Or that he didn't appreciate the effort Tala had gone through to bring them all together again. It was just... the noise. He couldn't handle the noise anymore.

So he had made his excuses and left, promising to spend the next day with his team. He still wasn't sure how was going to survive that.

When Kai shut his door it was with a barely restrained sigh of relief. He still wasn't sure what Tala's scheme would mean for him. Though Tala was convinced that Kai had fallen into a rut and needed something to pry him out of it. Kai wasn't so sure. There was something comforting in the grey he'd been living his life in. It wasn't exciting and it wasn't novel but it was relaxing.

The first thing Kai saw in his apartment was the bold colour of the flower. It was so bright that it seemed to suck any distinction from its surroundings. Against the flower everything looked flat.

Still, it wasn't a bad thing. He still hadn't solved the mystery of the flower's origins but he couldn't deny that it was pretty, a splash of colour in an otherwise bland and comfortable dwelling.

Kai sighed quietly as he unclipped his briefcase, forcing himself to stop thinking of home decor and start thinking of the important things. His time spent with his old team had distracted him from completing his paperwork.

Though he acted mainly as a figurehead for his company, there were certain documents and certain legalities that couldn't exist and couldn't be processed without his approval. Most of his day was spent reading a never-shrinking pile of documents and signing them. It was boring but without his signature on the papers Hiwatari Enterprises and all its subsidiaries would come to a sudden and unpleasant halt. He couldn't afford to fall behind.

Sitting on top of the pile he'd brought home was something Kai hadn't put into his briefcase. Something that didn't belong in his bland, comfortable life.

A large yellow flower with a dark centre surrounded by small yellow petals that gave way to large, narrow ones smiled up at him. Kai reached in and picked it up, surprised at the fuzzy texture of the stem.

_A Gerbera_.

Kai stared at the flower for a few seconds, unsure. This wasn't a random flower placed outside his window. This was a flower that had been nestled in with his belongings. This was one that had been placed there courtesy of someone he knew while he wasn't looking.

This was... making the corners of his mouth twitch in what might have been a smile on a more expressive face.

Kai stood, holding the flower gently and walking to the table where he had placed his first flower. He slid the gerbera in beside the Bird of Paradise, smirking at how the new flower was dwarfed by the other. But there was nothing for it. He didn't own another vase.

If nothing else it added a bit more colour.

**TBC**

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This chapter was written by **PandaPjays** for the Beyblade Community Project.

* * *

_The Beyblade Community Project is a giant collaborative, improvisational fan fiction with a different author contributing a new chapter every week._

Do _you _want to write the next chapter? Do you know what happens next?_  
_

_**Get Involved**  
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	2. Good Things

_Good Things_

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**by **phoenixandtiger**

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'Tala...,' Kai starts to say, then lets out a breath of air when the other only gives him an innocent look.

'Yes?'

'You say that you're inviting all the teams here, right?'

The other nods vigorously— well, as much as his scarf would allow. Even now, Kai still marvels at how other than him, Tala would actually wear a scarf— and pull it off, but, he's not feeding his ego here.

'Where will they all _stay_?'

The Wolborg blader stops in his tracks and gnaws a bit on his lower lip. 'That's a very good question. I got your old team here in a hotel for last night after telling them to put it on Hiwatari Enterprises, but when the others get here...' He continues mulling over this, seeming to ignore Kai and his I-don't-know-this-idiot looks. Then his eyes light up and a wide grin splits his face. 'Got it! Your mansion has more than enough space!'

Kai snorts. 'Are you being serious?'

'Definitely! Think about it - didn't Voltaire outfit one of the rooms with professional Beyblading equipment? And there were so many rooms I got lost the first time I went there, and those rooms would still be there...unless you sold the place. Which would be rather stupid.'

_...Well, Tala does bring up a good point. I should've sold it years ago._

X

That evening, Kai sits in front of his desk and looks at the various documents. However, his mind isn't thinking about how he would deal with this budget-cut here, that technology malfunction there that just _needs_ his signature before they could get new parts for the machinery - rather, his thoughts are all on the day; the time spent with his old teammates.

He had forgotten how...dare he say it...fun it was to spend time with them — yes, even Tyson and his eating habits. Most of the day is spent reminiscing about the past tournaments (Tyson was _so_ not stroking his own ego here), talking about what they would do to boost up Beyblading (of course, the other teams would be there too, can't forget about them), and just being themselves.

He gives a mental shake of the head when he realizes that he's been spending way too much time thinking. And so, he picks up the first thing he sees and scans through the typed words, signing on the dotted line and getting the next document.

So caught up in his work was Kai, he doesn't notice it when a small bundle is placed outside the window of the room he's in, the hand rapping quickly on the fogged-up glass before darting out of sight.

Kai's ears prick at the sound of knuckles on glass, and he turns his head, his eyes making out some vague, triangular shape before he wills himself to get up and walk over to the window.

_A...bouquet?_

No, he corrects himself. More like three flowers tied together, but with the glass in the way, he can't tell what kind they are. So he reaches out a hand, undo the latch and bring the flowers into the room, small goosebumps rising on his skin from the rush of cold air that enters.

He looks at the flowers and immediately recognizes it as azaleas - they are light purple in colour, with tendrils of pink-tipped-with-black shooting up from the center. Its petals curl in slightly at the ends, as if frills, and its leaves are a dark-ish green that only bolsters the blazing purple of its petals.

This time, there is a note attached - typed, tied with a piece of string to the stems.

_Good things come when you least expect them._

He only gives this a cursory glance before putting it on the 'Not Kai's Business' list with the other flowers. After all, there isn't a name to it.

The azaleas are put in the same vase with the bird-of-paradise and the gerbera, and Kai makes a note in his head to buy another vase while he picks up the previous paper and gets back to his work, not aware of the slight curve his lips had acquired.

The flowers stay vibrant, the azaleas now a splash of darker colour against the brightness of the others.

X

'It's scary how Kai doesn't seem to have changed any bit since we last saw him,' Tyson remarks, almost slouching in his chair.

Rei shrugs. 'Well, it's not as if he had any time for fun or something - after the BEGA stuff, he had to go and take over the business, and after that, it's probably been work, work, work all day and night for him.'

'That's what we're here for, Tyson!' Max says excitedly, almost leaping. 'This idea of Tala's actually really, really good!'

Two pairs of eyes stare at him. 'Did I just hear _Max_ say that?'

'Yep! Wouldn't it be awesome when the White Tigers and the All Starz get here? It'd be like the old times, just Beyblading and hanging out.'

'Yeah, it would...but it's just kinda weird how _Tala_ was the one to come up with this thing. Wasn't he all like "I'll kill you!" in the first tournament?'

A hand pats Tyson on the head - Max's, and he says with a smile, 'People change - we all did, in some way or another. And I think that was actually Bryan.'

'That I completely agree with, Maxie.'

X

The next morning, Kai is awakened by his phone ringing.

'Hello?' he says groggily, rubbing at his eyes.

_'Hey, Kai! It's Rei; just wanted to tell you to get up - we're all going to the airport to get the White Tigers!'_

He stifles a groan and looks at the clock. _Must've forgotten to set the alarm last night._

'Now?'

_'Well, no - in an hour and half, actually, but I thought you'd need extra time to get that face paint on.'_

'Oh...okay.'

_'Still the man of many words, aren't we?'_ Rei laughs quietly. _'We'll meet at your office. And Tala says you've agreed to lend us your mansion-house! Thanks!'_

'Uh...'

_'Well then, see you in... ninety minutes, bye!'_

'Bye.'

A click is heard, and he wills himself up.

_Ever since this idea popped up, my life's been almost torn upside-down,_ he thinks as he turns on the shower. _Now all the old teams are coming, and I don't think I can actually handle all this difference._

The warm water washes away all his thoughts when he steps into the shower, and Kai forgets about work when the news suddenly catches up to him.

_Though I have to admit, this might actually be fun._

**TBC**_  
_

_

* * *

_This chapter was written by **phoenixandtiger** for the Beyblade Community Project

* * *

_The Beyblade Community Project is a giant collaborative, improvisational fan fiction with a different author contributing a new chapter every week._

Do _you _want to write the next chapter? Do you know what happens next?_  
_

_**Get Involved**  
_

Visit our profile and post in the forum to claim the next chapter as your own! Don't be shy, in order for this to work we need your help!


	3. Two Vases of Trouble

_Two Vases of Trouble_

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By **TalaTati19**

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It occurred to Kai, after a certain new finding, that his list of matters that "weren't his business" was starting to grow. It also occurred to him that it was growing in a fashion that was anything but the routine he'd become attached to: normal.

Not wanting to be late to meet up with his old friends, the bluenette quickly dressed himself in his blue-collar work attire. He breezed his way through his apartment, grabbing work papers, his briefcase, and car keys, while multitasking between putting on his coat, scarf, and drinking a steaming cup of black coffee. Then he went to a drawer in the kitchen by the refrigerator and produced a medium-sized ring of keys with a dangling tag labeled with the Russian word for mansion: _osobnyak_.

When he went to his office desk to grab his laptop, new flowers greeted him with a colorful good morning outside his window. They came in a tall water glass that was substituting a proper vase. The flowers were white Dendrobium Orchids, small in size with petals the same glistening sheen of freshly fallen snow. In the bouquet, one could call it, was also a handful of Bear Grass. A handful of orchids plus a handful of Bear Grass made for two handfuls of trouble for Kai.

Unlatching his window, the bluenette pulled the flowers out from the harsh wind outside and brought them over to the table with his other growing collection of flora. He judged from the amount of flowers in each vase that he couldn't gather them all together into one- neither vase had enough room for so many flowers—which only pressed the urgency for him to purchase a new vase. Passive curiosity made the Russian bring both bunches of flowers closely together and place one in front of the other; he imagined how both would look once they were put together. Just as quickly as he began envisioning it, he shook the thought away from his head and pushed the flowers back. He was giving _way_ too much thought for these flowers.

Making a mental note to buy a new vase before he set foot back in his apartment that evening, Kai left to meet up with the old Bladebreakers in a flurry.

x-x-x-x

Parked just outside the front of the Hiwatari Enterprises building was an ivory-white SUV. The driver, a redhead, sat with his arm leisurely dandling out the open window. The palm of his hand was open and facing the silver-clouded sky, catching small snowflakes that drifted silently down. His passengers weren't too happy with all the cold air that was flooding into the vehicle.

"T-Tala," Tyson chattered from the back seat. The dragon had a vice grip on both Hilary and Max's arms, trying to keep himself warm. "C-could you p-pl-please shut the window?"

"I'm catching snowflakes," the icy-blue eyed man replied. In other words, "no."

"But it's fr-fr-fr-freezing!" Daichi stuttered in agreement with Tyson. "It's like, ten degrees below zero right now!"

The fact the short redhead pointed out intrigued him, and, for the first time in the hour that they'd been waiting for Kai, Tala turned around in his seat to visually acknowledge Max, Tyson, Daichi, Hilary, and Kenny in the back. Ray was sitting beside him in the front passenger seat. He arched a thick scarlet eyebrow high, "You guys have never been here in January, have you?" They shook their heads, and the rest he was going to say was implied with a single chuckle and roll of his sea-glass-blue eyes. "Suck it up. It's not that bad."

The seven jumped in surprise when the car beside them gave a single, loud honk. They each craned their heads to look out the windows at another SUV, black in color, in which Kai was the driver. Tala gestured for his best friend to roll down the window, and the phoenix did so.

"Where have you been?" the wolf inquired. Kai seemed to be paying less attention to the redhead and more attention to counting the heads inside the darkened back windows of the white SUV.

"...There's not going to be enough room for everyone in two cars." The bluenette deduced, "You got change for a taxi?"

"Yeah," Tala answered, "But what—?"

"I'll take the White Tigers, you take the All Starz. We'll pay a cab for the Majestics." Kai nodded to himself, leaning over so that he could see past Tala. "Anyone want to come with me?" Immediately after his offer, the four adults in the back seat scrambled out and raced into Kai's car—a quick quarrel for shotgun was resolved by Kai himself: Hilary took the front passenger and Tyson and Max were booted to the back. The bluenette drove on ahead, leaving Tala and Ray to follow.

"Every time I ask him something he either avoids it or asks a better question...what the hell..." the redhead grumbled in complaint.

Ray laughed sympathetically, "that's Kai for ya."

x-x-x-x

Awe could not describe how the former Bladebreakers, White Tigers, All Starz, and Majestics felt upon laying their eyes on Hiwatari Estate...alright, maybe it could (to an extent).

The style of the mansion was a refurbished old-world Russia architecture. The outside of the building was faced with brick. Features such as the main door framing, window moldings, and columns were painted an antique white and boasted elaborate woodwork that reflected styles from the Baroque and Rococo period. The roof of the mansion, while some spots were more modern, others went back to the old-world style, "soft-serve swirl-domes" that was a trademark symbol of Russian architecture. These different features, along with the white woodwork, had details painted in rustic colors such as red, golds, greens, and blues. While the mansion was only three floors high at the main part of the building (the front) and two throughout the rest of the manor, it was spread out in an impressive amount of land.

To those with a more humble upbringing (i.e., Tyson, Daichi, Kenny, Hilary, Ray, Lee, Mariah, etc.), it felt as if they were driving into Anastasia's fairy-tale castle. Those more fortunate (Max, Michael, Emily, Eddy, etc.) were thoroughly impressed. And while those that were...well-endowed (Robert, Johnny, Enrique, and Oliver) were a bit critical, they admitted that they were "surprised."

"I feel poor." Lee said to no one in particular, taking in the simple yet astounding landscaping as the car rolled up the driveway.

At the other window of the backseat, Johnny shrugged a scoff. "I don't." Turning to the owner of the estate himself, Johnny kicked the back of the driver's seat. "It looks like this pile of bricks is falling apart, Hiwatari. I thought you lived here."

The phoenix didn't verbally reply, which didn't surprise anyone. He'd barely exchanged hellos at the airport, and like some personalities (Johnny's, for example) his hadn't changed one bit.

_'Looks like he's still a pompous pain in the ass...'_ The bluenette bitterly thought to himself.

Pulling to a stop at the front of the mansion, Kai's guests slowly flooded out of the three cars and ran to the trunks of the SUVs, taxi, and, yes, a second taxi to grab their luggage. The second taxi was for the lack of room for luggage. During the time the large crowd of people busied themselves identifying and picking up their own bags, Kai jogged up the steps to the front of the mansion and pulled out the ring of keys that belonged to it. Quickly flipping through the keys he found the one that belonged to the front door and opened the door.

Behind the bluenette, Tala had followed him up the stairs and into the welcoming foyer with a grand staircase. "Glad to see you still know which keys open this place up," He noted, glancing around. Dust and dirt were gathered everywhere, pointing out just how long it'd been since the mansion was last used. "Damn, this place needs some cleaning." He ran a porcelain finger along the windowsill and the tip of his index came up black. "Make that a _lot_ of cleaning. I'm sure we can put your guests to help out."

"I've already contacted the staff that used to be in charge of the up-keep here. They've agreed to come back and work during the time the mansion's being used," Kai replied, his attention once again not on the same thing Tala's was. The redhead turned around to find that Kai was appraising a glass pitcher with a bouquet of dead flowers and old, murky water in it.

"What took you so long this morning?" Tala inquired. "You're _never_ late to...anything, really. You mind telling me what up? You've been acting a bit strangely ever since I surprised you with your old teammates staying over for a while. I expected you to be a little different from the norm, but not weird." Kai then did something Tala would've never seen coming. He picked up the glass pitcher, held it in the sunlight that flooded through the tall windows, and then dumped the dead contents of it behind the front door. It left a mess of dead flower stalks and leaves and mossy, dirty water on the marble floor.

When the bluenette glanced up at the redhead, Tala dropped all formalities, "Seriously, dude, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"I need it."

"I'm starting to think you might need other things, too. Like a shrink, for instance."

Before Kai had the chance to retort with a witty comment of his own, his guests were walking into the foyer. "Holy crap, Kai...how come you never told us you live in a mansion?" Tyson asked. "We could've stayed here during that first tournament instead of the hotel!"

"I don't live here, Tyson. I haven't lived here since I was eight, and nobody's lived in here for about six years now," Kai explained, ignoring comments such as _"That would explain all the dust"_ and similar things. "The cleaning staff is on their way up here now to take care of the mess while we go out for lunch."

"We're going out for lunch?" Daichi said, trying to hide a smile with a grin. Like Tyson, the shorter man was still a food-fanatic.

"Unless you want to eat in here, where the chances of you eating dust are as likely as you going to the bathroom twice a day." Tala smarmily pointed out, effectively quieting the other redhead for the time being. The blue-eyed man nodded to the stairs. "Bring your stuff up, people. The bedrooms are on the second floor to the left."

Leading the large group upstairs, the timeless (and ageless) dispute of who would be sleeping with whom, who would be taking which room, and who would be getting the biggest bed began. It was while all this was happening that Kai pulled Tala aside for a rather serious question.

"Tala, I've got an important question."

"Really, me too: are you gonna use that to make lemonade?" The icy-blue-eyed man asked, referring to the pitcher the phoenix was holding. Glowering at his best friend's smart mouth, Kai smacked him on the side of the head.

"Tala, I'm not kidding."

"Neither am I. Why on earth do you need that?"

"Tal—"

"I won't answer your question unless you tell me." The wolf ground out.

Kai's glower turned into a glare. To tell or not to tell Tala about his mysterious morning flowers? What would he think of the entire matter? More importantly, how would he react, and would he tell? The bluenette suddenly felt embarrassed and bashful, and he was beginning to overthink the flowers all over again. But then he remembered that he was Kai Hiwatari, and Kai Hiwatari never gave a second thought to things that "weren't his business." The flowers were exactly that.

It was after a pregnant pause of deliberation the phoenix finally, much against his will, confessed. "It's for flowers." Tala made a face that Kai easily translated as "what the fuck" and asked his question. "The cleaning staff told me they'd need at least the entire afternoon to make this place half-habitable."

"...So?"

"So, what are we supposed to do with them _all_ afternoon?"

**TBC**

**

* * *

**

This chapter was written by **TalaTati19** for the Beyblade Community Project

* * *

_The Beyblade Community Project is a giant collaborative, improvisational fan fiction with a different author contributing a new chapter every week._

Do _you_ want to write the next chapter? Do you know what happens next?

_**Get Involved**_

Visit our profile and post in the forum to find out how. Don't be shy, in order for this to work we need your help!


	4. Callused Roses, Callused Hands

_Callused Roses, Callused Hands_

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by **JamieRay**

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**"So what's with the flowers?" Tala smirked teasingly, leaning up against the railing. Lunch had been uneventful and, thanks to the cleaning service now working on the mansion, they had to come up with a distraction, and fast. The ice rink of course was Tala's brilliant idea, and Kai had to admit it was rather amusing watching McGregor fall on his ass.

Kai looked up from where he sat on the bench before a skate clad Tala, pulling on his own pair of bladed shoes. "Did you call him?" Kai asked, to which Tala rolled his eyes at his friend's evasive tactics.

"Are you going to answer me?"

"Why ask a question you already know the answer to?" Kai pulled the laces taut and tied them together, before looking back up at his friend of eleven years. "Did you call him or didn't you?"

Tala held out his hand to the blunette sitting on the bench, "He should be here any minute" he said pulling him to his feet. "You any good at this anymore?" he asked inclining his head toward the ice where Max was pulling a fallen Tyson to his feet.

Kai shrugged, "your guess is as good as mine." Kai couldn't remember the last time he had been on the ice…it was before blading…before the abbey…sometime eleven years ago. It seemed a lot had happened eleven years ago.

"Are you two going to get on the ice or just stand there like fifty-year-old men?" The voice was Rei's, gliding towards them as he spoke over the railing, Kai was sure the only thing keeping that boy up was all that Zen training he'd done for all those years, ice was an entirely foreign concept to the Chinese bladers, he wondered briefly if Rei still practiced it.

"What's wrong Hiwatari, don't tell me you can't skate." The ever-arrogant Michael called from the center of the ice. Kai smirked, despite his earlier comment to Tala, he knew he could outskate the lot of them. This, after all, had once been his passion.

Using the railing for balance, Kai pushed himself onto the ice, gliding smoothly towards the center. Tala followed his example, though not quite as easily. Kai's hockey training prior to their abbey days made it second nature for him. Tala, on the other hand, had only just learned to skate after the mess of the BEGA disaster or, rather, he'd learned to live in the four years since then. Kai, however, had avoided living entirely and, with the constant drab of his daily routine, had forgotten how. Whatever Kai wanted to think it was, this whole skating thing, gave him a taste of the life he lived before beyblade had consumed him.

"Pick it up Ivanov, unless you plan on standing there forever." The smirking voice of the new arrival caught him in his thoughts; he hadn't realized he was still moving so slowly along the railing. Bryan stepped onto the ice with his heavy skates and immediately pushed off, moving with a fast pace towards the center of the rink. Tala smiled, pushing himself away from the railing towards where most of the group was now gathered.

Spencer, who had arrived with Bryan, stood in the center of the group, a pile of hockey sticks and a puck at his feet, splitting the group into two overcrowded teams of ten. Hilary and Kenny, opting to sit out, sat at the benches on the side, Hillary rambling as usual and Kenny typing away at his laptop.

"Alright, everyone grab a stick and take your positions." Bryan took control of the rowdy group, grabbing his own stick off the floor. The jumble of tangled and fallen bodies that then ensued as the less-than-skilled skaters attempted to grab a stick off the ice was quite the amusing scene to behold. Bryan smirked deviously, he had expected as much.

Once everyone had managed to detangle themselves and acquire a hockey stick, with much difficulty in some cases, the players retreated to opposite sides of the rink. When Hilary, the self announced referee, gave the command the game began. And Kai was seven years old again holding a long piece of wood that was his makeshift stick, and gliding around over the frozen lake in the forest behind the Hiwatari Manor.

-o-

Kai pulled the door open and slid into the large black Cadillac, turning on the heater to fend off the frozen night air. It was already dark out, an hour or two past sunset, and the others were still inside getting their stuff together. Had it been left up to him, he would have still been on the ice, hockey stick clutched between numb fingers, striking the small black disk every which way as he slid easily over the icy surface.

Kai brushed his fringe, damp from the falling snow, from his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the hot air now blowing against his cheeks, still burning from the cold. The group was starting across the parking lot now, and it was then, as he turned to look through the passenger side window, that he spotted, out of the corner of his eye, the shock of crimson red against the drab dark grey and black interior.

Three roses of the deepest red rested on the chair at his right, stems crossed delicately over each other. Kai froze, they were beautiful. His hand reached out to the deep crimson of their soft velvety petals, for some reason he had the urge to touch them to the skin on his callused hands.

Footsteps, they were soft and Kai didn't know how he had heard them but the crunch of Rei's feet in the snow outside his car had him frantic. Quickly changing the direction of his hand he grabbed the stems of the roses, pulling open the glove compartment he shoved them inside roughly and slammed it shut just as Rei opened the passenger side door.

"You alright?" Rei asked the older boy.

"Yeah fine, why wouldn't I be?" Rei shrugged and Kai thanked the higher powers that it hadn't been Tala or Bryan or Spencer, any of them would see right through his uncharacteristically wordy reply in a second. Rei got into the car as the others began to approach the part of the lot where he, Tala and Bryan had parked.

Kai let out a breath and grabbed the steering wheel with his right hand, pulling it back almost immediately at the sharp sting of something piercing his skin. Lucky that Rei was now speaking to someone through the open window, and hadn't noticed Kai looked at his hand, realizing for the first time that he had grabbed at the thorny stems of the roses.

Kai plucked the thorn from his hand and examined the damage. Most of the places where the thorns had punctured were marked with small breaks in the skin, his callused finger tips stung slightly, but there was no further visible damage. Blood collected at the place where he just pulled the thorn from the palm of his hand and he grabbed a tissue from the box on the dashboard, making sure the steering wheel of his precious Cadillac wasn't smudged with the blood. True that it wasn't the newest of models, his 2004 Escalade, but he had become rather attached to it.

The back door opened, the others finally having decided who would ride in which car, and the Majestics filed in, followed by Michael and Eddy. Oliver was complaining about the blisters on his hands from so many hours of playing, and Michael telling him to suck it up and shove it, in a rather ruder manner. And as chatter filled the car around him, Kai's mind drifted to the three roughly handled roses in the glove compartment so close to Rei. He found himself hoping they weren't too terribly harmed by his sudden frantic action; they would look exceptionally beautiful right next to his orchids. Kai entirely forgot to remind himself that these roses belonged on the ever growing 'none of Kai's business' list.

The honk of the horn of the dark green SUV on his left alerted him to the falcon's presence. He rolled down the window, where Bryan leaned across Spencer in the passenger seat to be heard.

"Ivanov says head for the plaza, the Kids are hungry." Kai nodded shaking thoughts of the roses from his mind as he focused on getting to the plaza.

-o-

It was an elaborately decorated traditional Russian restaurant in the center of the plaza. The structure of the building reminded of the old palaces of St. Petersburg. It was Tala's favorite restaurant, and he dragged the former members of the Blitzkrieg boys here every chance he got.

Kai pulled the car to a stop in the parking lot in front of the large building. He sighed, rolling his eyes as the passengers behind him scrambled for the door.

"Aren't you coming" Rei asked, opening his own door.

Kai nodded "Yeah, I'll be there in a minute."

He waited until Rei left the car and the crowd of former bladers had cleared off towards the restaurant before leaning over the passenger seat and opening the glove compartment. The roses were, miraculously enough, almost fully intact, with only a few petals having fallen off, it didn't take away from the breathtaking beauty of the flowers.

Replacing the roses gently back in the glove compartment, he closed it back up; they would be fine there until he arrived home. Kai had begun to straighten again when the small white card on the floor caught his attention. He had always been almost annoyingly meticulous about the mess in his car, and that certainly wasn't there before.

Bending again he picked up the card, reading off of it the carefully printed script letters that formed a message.

_He who dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose,  
For a rose without thorns is not a rose at all  
But a sad imitation of its sweetness_

It must have come with the flowers; Kai shrugged, adding it to his 'not Kai's Business' list, slipping it into his back pocket and proceeding to get out of the car.

Kai met everyone on the top floor of the restaurant, with several tables gathered together to accommodate their exceptionally large group. Kai sat down but didn't take much part in any of the conversations that went around the table, save a few inputs here and there. And when the waitress came and asked him if he'd have his usual Kai didn't nod as he always did, instead he gave her a negative answer, and proceeded to order something a little different.

When it had gotten so late the restaurant had entirely cleared out and Tala had decided they had better get going, they did. Leaving behind the warmth of the building for the freezing Russian air, the group made their leisurely way across the parking lot to the three SUVs.

Kai got into the driver's seat next to Rei, his head spinning only slightly due to an extra wine glass or two after dinner. He shrugged it off, he wasn't too drunk, only a little tipsy. Switching from park into reverse, he pulled out of the parking space after Tala's white SUV.

"You sure you're ok driving like this?" Rei asked as the car moved smoothly out of the parking lot. Kai only nodded, he had never been a heavy drinker, Bryan was always the more tolerant one, but he could handle a couple glasses of wine.

-o-

The steady beat of the heart monitor was the only sound in the otherwise quiet, empty, stark white room when he woke up. He wasn't sure what had woken him, or how he had gotten where he was, or why he was hooked up to so much equipment.

Kai lifted his hand removing the oxygen mask that covered his nose and mouth. The gentle tug of a cord at the back of his hand told him he was connected to an IV as well. He didn't understand, what had happened? Sitting up he tugged the IV out as well and looked around, eyes scanning the hospital room.

Flowers. Azaleas and orchids, roses, and gerbera, begonias and birds of paradise, lined up along the window in vases and pitchers and tall glass cups. Packed and stacked and crowding the room. Kai looked around frantically, not an inch of the room remained untouched by the flowers.

He pushed back the duvet that covered him and moved to stand. Eyes sliding open as he did to stare up at the over head ceiling. He was still lying down, lying in bed. Shooting up into a sitting position he stared around the room— nothing, no flowers, the wall was plastered in posters of hockey players and musicians he had listened to as a kid. Kai dropped back onto the sheets; it was a dream, all just a dream. Those flowers were really starting to get to him, or maybe it was just the alcohol from the night before. Or maybe that last one was just wishful thinking.

After much persuasion from Tala, they had both spent the night at the mansion as well. He had gone back to his apartment to get some clothes, seeing as the only clothes and belongings at Hiwatari Manor were owned by his 8-year-old self, and at 19 he doubted they would still fit. He had placed his roses and orchids in the newly acquired glass pitcher and went to gather his stuff, it was only as he was leaving that he had seen them.

Begonias, peach in color and sitting in a tall half filled water glass from his kitchen, right between the two vases.

Kai shook his head, pushing back the covers slightly, he still couldn't understand how it had gotten there, it hadn't been there just fifteen minutes before, how had someone managed to get into his apartment with him inside? Kai ran his hands over his face, this was getting too far. It was time that 'not Kai's business' list became Kai's business.

**TBC**

**

* * *

**

This chapter was written by **JamieRay** for the Beyblade Community Project.

* * *

_The Beyblade Community Project is a giant collaborative, improvisational fan fiction with a different author contributing a new chapter every week._

Do _you _want to write the next chapter? Do you know what happens next?_  
_

_**Get Involved**  
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Visit our profile and post in the forum to find out how. Don't be shy, in order for this to work we need your help!


	5. A Note of Change

_A Note of Change

* * *

_by **Angsty Glowstick

* * *

**

To state that the mansion had turned on its axis was a gross understatement. Its atmosphere had done a 180 without promises of going back anytime soon. The once silent and dusty place was suddenly filled with constant activity and sound. There were now too many people and, while the mansion was big enough to accommodate them, they were raucous enough to push its limits.

Kai attempted to blend into the background as he watched the flurry around him. Members of the White Tiger team, headed by Ray, had taken it upon themselves to make breakfast for everyone. That had caused the first general outcry of the day. It was not that anyone else was keen on flipping large amounts of pancakes or frying four dozen eggs, but the insinuation by the Chinese team that they were better cooks was met with much grumbled offence. The ensuing snide remarks thrown back and forth like a tennis ball had been abruptly halted by Bryan smashing his fist onto the kitchen countertop and saying a few choice words.

Now there was a lineup as the White Tigers prepared the food and served it on plates. The rest of the group took turns getting their share and hightailing it to the dining room. This, of course, had to be done with much chatter and banter and the blocking of exits. Kai stood at the other side of the spacey kitchen, away from the congregation, and attempted to drink his coffee as serenely as possible. That was not an easy task. He'd developed a pounding headache as soon as he had made the regretful decision to come downstairs.

"Yo Kai!" Tyson called out, adding unapologetic _sorry_'s as he shoved his way to the front of the line, "Whatcha doing all on your own over there?"

Kai closed his eyes, feeling a vein throb in his forehead. The loud bluenette just had to draw attention to him. He needn't have worried, however: the crowd was now busy with an outbreak of anger at Tyson butting in front. The cooks and servers were making hasty placating attempts to no avail. Being as lazy as ever, Tyson had slept in, and as gluttonous as ever, was eager to get eating.

Bryan came to the rescue once again. "Break it up, break it up!" he demanded, arms crossed authoritatively, "Granger, take your ass to the back and wait your turn."

Tyson pouted but obeyed. He was shot glares from all angles as he slouched over to his rightful place. Even he knew better than to get on Bryan's bad side.

"Sooo…"

Kai looked to the side and saw that Tala and Spencer had decided to join him, both imitating him with a cup of coffee of their own.

"So what?" Kai asked sharply. He wasn't in a good mood and remembering that this was all the redhead's fault rather helped.

"How is our favorite boss doing this morning?" Tala asked innocently.

Spencer smirked behind the rim of his cup.

Kai glared at them. "You only have one boss," he shot back.

"Yeah, yeah," Tala dismissed, throwing an arm around Kai's shoulders and making him consider dumping the still scalding coffee on the redhead's front, "Still. Say, what do we have planned today for our lovely guests?"

"_We_ have nothing planned," Kai pronounced, shrugging the arm off, "_You_, however, better have something to keep them busy. In a way that will _not_ interfere with my schedule."

He set the cup on the counter and turned to walk away. Tala grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.

"You can't just leave me and, and _go_!" he implored.

"There are three of you. Four counting Ian," Kai told him, plucking the hand off his shoulder and dropping it unceremoniously, "Deal with it. I have work to get done."

"Oh for fu—" Tala continued to rant but Kai didn't care.

The clamor of the morning had utterly disrupted his peace—he wasn't much of a morning person and he rather liked subdued environments at any given time of the day. He went to grab the few items he'd brought with him the night before and left the temporary inhabitants of the mansion to their chaos.

-o-

In his office Kai reclined back and rejoiced in the basking feeling of quiet and order. He'd thrown back a few pills to ease his headache, privately had some breakfast of his own, and was now as good as ever. Sitting up, he absently pulled some fresh paperwork, courtesy of his secretary, to himself. He began to flip through it, taking a bearing of its material. Slowly he became absorbed in the world of work and business affairs, and was rather brought back to reality with a jerk as a knock sounded on his door.

He set the pile aside and called, "Come in."

Bryan saluted him with a grin as he entered, shutting the door with a slam behind him. Kai raised an eyebrow.

"How's it going?" the comer asked.

"As it should," Kai responded in typical fashion, "What's happening?"

Bryan plopped down in one of the chairs facing the desk and ran a hand through his hair.

"Keeping our dear acquaintances in line is like trying to manage a zoo without premises. I am utterly worn out," he informed the CEO.

Kai pulled the paperwork back closer to him disinterestedly. "You're here for sympathy? There won't be any."

Chuckling, Bryan shook his head and began to rummage in his pocket, "No, I was sent to retrieve you. Calling you was useless; you forgot your phone at the mansion. When we called your secretary she informed us that you instructed her not to interrupt you."

He pulled out an object and set it on the table. Kai stared at his blackberry blankly. He had been so eager to escape that his treasured communication device didn't even cross his mind.

"And… why is that?" he asked slowly, reaching out to take the phone. He flipped it open more out of habit than to check what he'd missed, but the inattentiveness disappeared as his eyes fell on the screen.

"Why get you? Well, the group wants to go somewhere nice for lunch and it just wouldn't be seemly—" Bryan was talking in the background but Kai paid him no heed.

The screen of his mobile, previously an abstract amalgamation of sorts, had been inexplicably changed to one of a field of colorful tulips.

"Who used my phone?" he cut across the other, who had continued to talk obliviously.

"—that place down th—what?"

"My phone," Kai repeated, extending his hand to show Bryan the screen, "Someone changed the background."

Bryan frowned, "No one touched it. I was the one who found it in your old room."

"Someone must have," Kai insisted. The mysterious flower affair reflooded his mind with renewed vigor.

"I don't know. What's the big deal? Sensitive information on your blackberry or something?"

Kai gave one shake of his head in negation, too deep in thought to answer.

Bryan was talking again, "So, as I was saying…uh, Kai?"

Kai's eyes snapped up from the little screen he'd been contemplating.

"I'm busy, I'll have to pass on lunch," he said firmly. His tone left no room for argument.

-o-

It had been an excuse. Kai found himself to be too distracted to concentrate and had ended up back in his apartment not long afterward. He'd found that his bed seemed to have a rather magnetic quality and resolved to take a short nap.

Kai was awoken shortly thereafter by two simultaneous and beckoning noises: the _knock-knock-knock_ on his apartment's door and the incessant ring of his telephone. He groaned, sitting up and looking blearily around his room. After the sluggishness in his mind cleared Kai pushed himself up and, ignoring the phone, went to answer his unexpected visitor.

It was a middle aged mailwoman bearing a medium sized package. Kai stared at her.

"Mr…" she checked the name addressed on the box, "Hiwatari?"

"Yes," Kai confirmed after a moment, very aware of his ruffled state.

She nodded and presented him with a clipboard, "I require you to sign here that this was received. This package was slated for immediate delivery."

Kai signed the paper quickly, his curiosity overtaking his senses as the package was set into his hands. It was relatively light for its size and delivered anonymously; there was no return address.

"Have a good day, sir," the woman bid him, and began to stroll back down the hallway to the elevators.

Having not paid attention, Kai finally looked up and realized that he'd forgone all common courtesy. Meters away the mailwoman was waiting for the elevator, scribbling something on her clipboard.

"Uh, thank you," he called.

The lift arrived just as she looked up and gave a nod of acknowledgement.

-o-

Kai gazed out of the bathroom door into his conjoined bedroom as he absently brushed his teeth. He'd set the package on his bedcovers, not knowing what to make of such an unprecedented event. He was at the same time cautious and burning with curiosity. After deciding to go about a refreshing routine while he contemplated the issue, he'd taken a quick shower. Kai had fully ignored the phone, which had continued to sound in regular intervals. He had caller ID so the caller would have to wait until after he attended to more important matters.

He rinsed the toothpaste from his mouth and set the toothbrush back in its place, then simply stood and looked at himself in the mirror. Kai was almost dismayed that he had nothing else to keep him from the package and whatever it was going to entail—the past few days had been full of surprises. Not unpleasant ones, but thought-provoking all the same.

Remembering the telephone, now silent, Kai walked over to it. It was unsurprising to find that the mass of missed calls were all from a single, impatient person. Tala also had the nerve to leave him not one but three voicemails.

_Beep._

"_Kai. What the hell are you doing and why won't you pick up? I called the company but you're not there. Your presence is required at the mansion like, right now. Call me._"

_Beep. _

"_KAI! Can you pick up your damn phone! I demand an emergency meeting at the mansion immediately!_"

_Beep._

"_Damn it. I bet you're ignoring me on purpose. For god's sake, they're your guests, not mine!"_

Kai rolled his eyes, shutting off the voicemail system which went on in an automated voice with options of saving, deleting, calling back… _He_ had not been the one to invite the ex-beyblading teams over. Shaking his head ruefully he stretched his neck and his eyes fell on—

The package.

He jumped when all of a sudden his alarm clock began to blare, indicating that it was now the time he'd set in order not to nap too long. Cursing mentally as he remembered that his rest had been cut short, he stalked over to snooze it and then directed his full attention to the delivery once more.

_Vexed_ could not properly describe Kai as he slit the first cardboard box to find a second box, also plain, and the second to find a third. He pulled back and glared at this mockery. The small pocket knife twirled within his fingers as he considered trashing the whole thing and being done with it. The thought was quickly snuffed out—his curiosity was much too snared.

There were five boxes overall, and the last one revealed the much awaited secret.

A sunflower.

It was beautifully yellow, with a dark golden center. The usually rigid stem of the flower was carefully conformed to fit inside the box. Amused and exasperated, Kai picked the sunflower up gently, finding with relief that the stem had not been damaged. A plain paper card was deposited into the box at the bottom.

_hello sunshine._

Staring incredulously at the words, Kai considered the few explanations that sprang to mind. One was that the message was directed at him, addressing him. The other was to perceive it from the flower's point of view—the dedication to the sun and finding it again after the darkness of confinement. That the meaning could be an intermingling of both seemed ridiculous: addressing Kai with the adoration of the sunflower to the sun.

It had served its purpose in any case, Kai thought curiously. He was willing to admit that it had managed to infect him with the outlook the flower was associated with.

Solace.

Holding the sunflower gently, he moved to add it to his ever-growing collection. He stepped back afterward and regarded the bouquet. It was time he took on the role of detective and attempt to crack this case.

Maybe.

**TBC**

**

* * *

**

This chapter was written by **Angsty Glowstick** for the Beyblade Community Project.

* * *

_The Beyblade Community Project is a giant collaborative, improvisational fan fiction with a different author contributing a new chapter every week._

Do _you _want to write the next chapter? Do you know what happens next?_  
_

_**Get Involved**  
_

Visit our profile and post in the forum to find out how. Don't be shy, in order for this to work we need your help!


	6. Burning

_Burning_

* * *

By **PandaPjays**

* * *

There were two things in this world Kai hated more than he could express in mere words. The first was untidiness in all its nefarious forms and the second was frogs. Thankfully, he didn't have to deal with the second very often (he avoided any creeks and lakes on principle) but he was quickly spiralling into a world full of the first.

And it was all Tala's fault. Tala and his stupid idea to revive beyblade. An idea that apparently hadn't gotten further than 'Bring teams to squat in Kai's mansion in order to send him insane with upmost rapidity'.

At least he still had his apartment where he could hide and try to pretend that his life wasn't falling apart around him. That was something, at least.

He caught sight of the flowers that were quickly overtaking his table.

Oh, Yeah.

Kai snarled to himself and found his blackberry and keys, pocketing them before grabbing his jacket and marching towards the door. Even his apartment wasn't safe anymore. He opened the door and stopped short.

Tyson stood outside the door with his hand raised, about to knock. It took him a few seconds of blinking dumbly at Kai before his face relaxed into an easy smile. "Hey! Tala said I'd probably find you here."

"Congratulations," Kai said grumpily, seeing his plans for a nice walk to clear his head going up in smoke.

"Oh, Grumblebutt, How I've missed you." Tyson said, ducking underneath Kai's arm to enter his apartment. "Nice digs."

"What are you doing here?" Kai asked, allowing the door to shut as he turned to regard his former teammate. "There was a reason I didn't let anyone know where I lived."

Tyson screwed up his face, "Yeah, Tala said something to that effect." His voice dropped to a conspirational whisper, "To be honest, all I heard was 'blah blah privacy blah blah I have a stick wedged firmly up my ass.' Hey what's that?" Seeing Kai's table of flora, Tyson went to investigate. "Never picked you for a flowers man."

"Why are you here, Tyson?" Kai repeated wearily. Long experience with Tyson had taught him that trying to follow any thread of conversation with Tyson only lead to headaches and... more headaches.

"Aren't I allowed to come visit my captain?" Tyson asked airily, poking the large brown face of the sunflower. "They're so colourful!"

"They're flowers, Tyson. They're supposed to be that way." Kai said, suppressing the need to roll his eyes as he grabbed the other's arm and gently, but firmly, took it away from his flowers. "You could have called, or arranged to see me at the office."

"But you weren't there," said Tyson with a shrug, putting his hands safely in his pockets. "And you weren't answering your phone— not that Tala left the lines free long enough for me to call you."

"And it didn't occur to you that I might have wanted to be left alone?" Kai asked peevishly.

"Come for a walk with me," Tyson said suddenly.

Kai blinked. "...What?" he asked.

"Walk. You. Me. Yes? Good." Tyson said slowly, like he was talking to a young child. "Go grab your coat."

Kai stayed where he was, he was feeling a bit off balance due to Tyson's onslaught but he wasn't as far gone as to start taking orders from him. "Why?"

"Because if you don't you'll spend the rest of the day shut in here glowering at the wall and I'll have to return to Tala and tell him that I failed and then I'll owe him ten bucks," Tyson said patiently. "And, between you and me, you pay Red a _ridiculous_ amount of money to stand around and look pretty. He doesn't need any of my hard-earned cash." He gave Kai a well-meaning shove. "Go get your jacket."

Kai sighed, realising that he wasn't going to win. "Only a short walk," he conceded. "Then you're going to leave me alone," He said, walking to the door and picking his jacket up off the floor where he'd dropped it in the wake of Cyclone Tyson.

"Never," Tyson said cheerfully. "Oh! And grab Dranzer while you're at it. I want to show you something."

Kai bit his lip in an effort not to tell Tyson where exactly he could shove his something. He marched into his room and pulled open his bedside draw. After a few seconds of rummaging (_another_ mess to clean up— Tala was going to pay in _blood_) he dug out his somewhat dusty beyblade and an old launcher he'd stowed with it.

"Geez, man. When was the last time that saw the light of day?" Tyson asked as he watched Kai from his bedroom door.

"Are we walking or what?" Kai asked moodily grabbing his scarf from its position on his dresser and winding it around his neck as he swept past Tyson.

"Yes, Mon Capitan," Tyson said with a mock salute as he followed Kai out of the apartment.

-o-

"What have you been doing for the past few years?" Kai asked, his hands shoved firmly in his pockets. They'd been walking seemingly without aim for the past half hour. Tyson had seemed content to carry the majority of the conversation, prompted by Kai's polite, if bored, questions.

Tyson shrugged. "A bit of this and that—Gramps finally retired and left running the dojo to me and I've been helping Hiro and my dad in my spare time with their projects."

"Sounds thrilling."

"If it was, would I be here?" Tyson asked pointedly, linking his hands and putting them behind his head. "I enjoy myself but sometimes I feel like I could be doing something more, you know? Like, when we were kids we were literally on top of the world and now... we don't even really qualify for one of those cheesy 'Where are the Now?' shows."

"Is that why you're here?" Kai asked as they rounded a corner and the entrance to a large park came into view. "You want to be famous again?"

Tyson laughed. "Nah. Been there, done that. I even have a few T-shirts to prove it."

"Then what?" Kai asked as Tyson led them into the park.

"I just want to do something that matters, you know?" Tyson asked. "I mean, here you are, leader of a big company set to rule a majority share of the world and I'm chasing some ungrateful kids around with a broomstick." Tyson sucked on his bottom lip. "That didn't come out right, I mean—"

"—You want to be part of something big again?" Kai asked, looking over at his former teammate.

"...Yeah." Tyson said eventually. "Oh! Here's the thing I wanted to show you!" He pulled Kai to a railing overlooking a large flat stretch of ground covered with snow.

"What am I looking at?" Kai asked.

"You don't remember, do you?" Tyson asked, pointing to the ground below them. "The snow's filled them in now but those used to be beydishes."

Kai looked at the snow with renewed interest. If he squinted and used a hefty amount of imagination he could almost see them, evenly spaced divots in the snow.

"We came here during our first World Championships, remember?" Tyson asked, grabbing Kai's arm and pulling him towards stairs leading down to the graveyard of beydishes. "Remember how there were hundreds of kids playing here? Remember how excited they were that their country was hosting the finals?"

"Uh Tyson? I don't think we should be going down these stairs—" Kai said as he was pulled along.

Somehow they navigated the stairs without any broken limbs. Tyson stopped at the bottom, squinting at the ground with more concentration than Kai had ever seen in his eyes. After a few seconds, he began to walk forward, gingerly testing each step before committing to it. After a few seconds his leg sank down into the snow and he let out and 'Aha!' He bent down to begin digging. "Kai! Come and help me!"

Kai sighed a long-suffering sigh before wading through the snow, careful to follow Tyson's path. He didn't want to accidently step into a hidden dish and break his leg. By the time he reached his former teammate, the dish he was excavating was already half clear.

"Come and help me, Grumbleguts!" Tyson said with a grin, flicking some snow at him.

"Or what?" Kai asked, brushing the snow off his clothes with what he hoped was quiet dignity.

"Or I'll tell Johnny your home address."

Kai stooped to begin clearing the section of dish closest to him.

After some concerted effort, they had a beydish, clear of any snow and debris. Tyson grinned as he flopped down beside it, his face red with effort. "Do you remember what it was like, Kai?"

"Remember what what was like?"

Tyson gestured to the dish and to the abandoned park at large. "Everything." He sighed and looked over at his former captain. "Wouldn't it be nice to bring this back?"

Kai snorted and stood, brushing the snow off his pants and trying not to make a face as he felt the wet begin seeping through the fabric. "Things don't happen like that, Tyson. Tala's scheme might help with rebranding beyblades and selling it to a younger generation but the past is the past. There's no point trying to reclaim it."

"That's gloomy," Tyson said, sitting up and looking at Kai.

"That's _life_," Kai countered. "Now, I'm getting cold. Can we go back inside?"

"Beybattle me."

Kai looked at Tyson sharply, gauging the seriousness of the other. All hint of jokes and smiles had disappeared from his face. "What? No." He scoffed. "I'm going." He turned to leave.

"_Kai_." Tyson said in the same voice Kai had perfected when he had been team captain. A voice that brokered no argument.

"Why, Tyson?"

"Please?"

Kai sighed, "I haven't even launched my beyblade in years."

"Dranzer."

Kai scowled, "What?"

"Her name is Dranzer. And I know. Beybattle me." Tyson stood and dusted the snow off the seat of his pants. "We went through all that effort to clear the dish, may as well get some use out of it before the next snowstorm."

Kai sighed, sensing that this was another battle he wasn't going to win. Oh, he knew he could walk away and just ignore Tyson. He even knew that if he wanted to he could simply walk away and let Tala deal with his own mess. But there was something in him, maybe a small vestige of pride or, more likely, a thread of insanity inherited from his grandfather, that made him set his shoulders and turn around to regard Tyson. "What could you possibly hope to gain from battling me?"

Tyson shrugged. "Maybe nothing. Maybe some nostalgia. Maybe something else, who knows? Come on, Kai. We spent years training and perfecting our technique for this game. You can't tell me that after all of that you're content to just walk away."

"Actually, yes, Tyson. I really am."

"That's not what Tala says."

"Tala's wrong," Kai said, his eyes narrowing.

"Prove it. Beybattle me."

Kai felt a frustrated snarl bubble up within him. He pushed it down with everything in him. "_Fine_. Then you're going to leave me alone and you're going to instruct," he held up his hand when Tyson opened up his mouth, "_instruct _everyone, and that includes Tala, to leave me out of your nostalgia-filled powwow circle of love and trust. I don't want any part of it."

"Take out Dranzer." Tyson said, a coolness in his voice Kai had never heard before. It looked like Tyson had learned to master his temper in the years since they'd last been in contact. "You know, Kai. I wish the Kai I used to know could hear you."

"Shut up." Kai said, digging into his pocket and pulling out Dranzer and his launcher. He threaded the ripcord through it and attached his blade with a smoothness that spoke of years of practice. He looked up to see Tyson already standing on the opposite side of the dish, holding his launcher up.

"Let's get this over with," Kai muttered, feeling ridiculous. He felt like he was fifteen again, with all the awkwardness that entailed. Years had passed and he was still here? He was still facing Tyson and they were still battling it out like no time had passed.

"Three," Tyson counted, "Two, One, LET IT RIP"

They launched their blades in unison. The beyblades landed in the dish and began circling each other. Kai's eyes narrowed when he saw a slight wobble in Dranzer's rotation. He was out of practice. He looked up to see Tyson regarding him coolly, not paying any attention to his blade circling the dish. Kai had once had that amount of skill, to be able to trust that his blade would be fine without his full attention. Not anymore. His eyes and concentration darted back to Dranzer.

"Dragoon!" Tyson yelled.

Answering his call, the blue dragon began to emerge from his bitchip.

Not one to be left behind, Kai called to his own bitbeast, "Dranzer!"

And that was all he knew before his world became a haze of pain.

-o-

"Shit! Kai! Kai! Come on, buddy. Wake up!"

Kai groaned as his brain registered that, yes, he was still alive and, yes, he would be quite happy if he wasn't think you very much. "What happened?" He asked, opening his eyes and sitting up. Surprised to find that he wasn't on fire. He peeled off his gloves and stared at his unblemished skin. He could have _sworn_— He looked up at Tyson. "What the hell just happened?" He demanded.

He could remember calling out Dranzer and then... fire. His whole body had been consumed by it and all he could do was scream at the agony of it. He had tried to fight but that had only angered the fire, making it burn brighter and hotter. Somewhere in his mind he registered that it had to stop hurting eventually. There was a limit to the amount of pain one person could feel before they died.

He was wrong.

Tyson knelt beside him, a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Breathe," he commanded."You're okay now."

_Now?_ Now when he could still feel the horrifying pain all over her body, both dull and sharp at the same time? Now when he could still feel the _exact_ moment when his vocal chords had burnt and he couldn't even scream anymore? _Now_ he was okay?

"What the _fuck_ just happened?" Kai demanded, trying to force those memories down. He was fine. It hadn't happened. Not really. He was fine.

"I don't know!" Tyson said, a note of panic in his voice. "One minute you were fine and the next you were off your feet and you were _screaming_." He shuddered. "I've never heard anyone scream like that before."

"_Dranzer_" Kai said, struggling to his knees and scrabbling around for his beyblade. His searching fingers found the sharp edges of his blade and closed around it. He flinched, expecting to have a repeat of the fire. But— it was cold. Too cold.

He examined it and gasped when he saw the blank bit chip. Dranzer was gone. "_Where is she?_" He asked, looking at Tyson.

The other shook his head wordlessly. "After you fell there was like this flash of light and she was there for a moment before she... went."

"What do you mean _went_?" Kai asked, his eyes darting around the area, trying to make sense of what had just happened. She had been so _angry_, And now he couldn't feel her at all. Always, even during those long years when she'd been shoved in a drawer, he had been able to feel her. But now—

Now she wasn't there.

She was alive. Kai knew that much. But he wasn't her master anymore.

He turned to Tyson. "_What did you do_?" he asked, venom thick in his voice. "You were the one who goaded me into this. What did you do?"

"Nothing!" Tyson said after a brief hesitation.

Kai heard the pause and snarled. "I don't believe you. What did you _do_?"

"I didn't do anything! It's just—"

"Just_ what,_ Tyson?"

Tyson bit his lip, refusing to meet Kai's eyes. "It's nothing. Just...One of the things that Hiro and Dad have been looking into. They've found some stories about neglected bit beasts. They... it wasn't pretty what happened, Kai" Tyson said. "But it was just a story!"

"You _knew_?" Kai asked. "You_ knew _and you made me call out Dranzer like that?"

"_No_, Kai. God! It was just a story among a whole heap of others they found! They found it next to one about a bitbeast that made all the rainbows disappear when it was defeated, for God's sake! How was I supposed to know it wasn't just a story?" He reached out to touch Kai's arm.

Kai snatched it away from him "_Don't touch me_," he hissed, standing and turning. "_You_ did this."

"Kai! You know I wouldn't do anything like that on purpose! I thought it was just a story! I _know_ how much Dranzer means to you! Kai!"

Kai walked away, ignoring him.

-o-

Kai yelled as he woke up, his body shivering uncontrollably. He could still feel it, could still feel the fire licking its way along his body and the helplessness as he tried and failed to escape it. He sat up and bunched his hand in his sheet, trying to calm himself.

He didn't know what he was supposed to feel. Betrayal? Sure. Anger? Most definitely.

But surely not the overwhelming fear that engulfed him. _That_ wasn't supposed to happen. He'd felt it as Dranzer slipped from his grasp. After years of ignoring her, she refused to obey him. It was like Black Dranzer all over again. He hadn't been powerful enough and now—

She was free. Dranzer was out there somewhere and that _terrified_ Kai.

He kicked his sheets off and swung his legs off the bed, standing with some difficulty. He walked to the kitchen and blinked when he saw a vase sitting in the middle with a purple hyacinth sitting in it. Next to the vase was a note scribbled in Tala's handwriting.

_I let myself in but didn't want to disturb you. Tyson said something happened with Dranzer? He was too shaken up to explain. Call me when you get this—I don't care what time._

_Oh, the flower's from Tyson, by the way. He says he's sorry._

_-Tala_

**TBC**

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This chapter was written by **PandaPjays** for the Beyblade Community Project.

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